Music legend Ayub Bachchu buried beside mother

21 Oct,2018

BDchronicle:Legendary musician of Bangladesh Ayub Bachchu who died on Thursday was laid to eternal rest beside his mother at their family graveyard in Chattogram on Saturday.As per his last wish, he was buried beside his mother’s grave at Baish Mahalla Chaitanya Gali Graveyard in Station Road in Chattogram at about 5:15pm.The music sensation Ayub Bacchu, also known as AB, was born in Chattogram in 1962. He was the son of Haji Mohammad Ishuque Chowdhury and Nurjahan Pervin. He died in Dhaka on October 18 at the age of 56.Grief descended on Chattogram on Saturday after Bachchu’s body reached his hometown. Relatives, childhood friends, neighbours and fans thronged the artist’s family home and attended namaz-e-janaza.The final namaz-e-janaza was held at Jamiatul Falah Jame Mosque in Dampara Wasa area after Asr prayer. Before the janaza, his body was kept on the mosque premises where hundreds of fans gathered from different parts of the country.Chattogram Metropolitan Police commissioner Md Mahbubur Rahman, Bachchu’s father Md Ishak, city Awami League president Mahtab Uddin Chowdhury and artist Partha Barua were also present.Chattogram city mayor AJM Nasir Uddin said that he wanted to set up a memorial of Bachchu in any part of the city to keep his memory alive as he was the pride of Chattogram and his contribution to the country was titanic.He said that they wanted to name the under construction Cultural Complex in Shahid Minar in Chattogram after the prolific singer. They also want to name a road after Ayub Bachchu. Chattogram City Corporation took full responsibility for organising the namaz-e-janaza, last rites and burial of Ayub Bachchu. Rhythm Musical Shop and Nogor Bari paid tribute to Bachchu placing a guitar-shaped flower bouquet.Prominent musicians, cultural activists, politicians, band groups joined the general public comprising his fans across generations on the mosque premises to pay their last tributes to the musician. Members of different political, socio-cultural and voluntary organisations also thronged the premises.Earlier, in the morning, a US Bangla Airlines flight carrying the body of the musical maestro, reached Shah Amanat International Airport at 10:55am. City mayor received the body. Bachchu’s son and daughter reached Bangladesh from Australia and Canada respectively Friday night. From airport, the body was taken to Ayub Bacchu’s grandfather’s (maternal) house at Madarbari.Prolific singer Bachchu was born and grew up in the port city’s Enayet Bazara area. On Saturday morning, hundreds of people gathered at Madarbari when the body reached there.Bachchu’s cousin cousin Md Abdullah Al Meheraj said that in last Eid-ul-Azha he came to his maternal uncle’s house and met the relatives. AB’s mother died in 2004 and after her death whenever Ayub Bachchu came to Chattogram he used to visit this house. That time he also said that he wanted to be buried beside his mother.Bachchu’s cousin Abdullah Al Mamun said that on October 12 Bachchu went to Chattogram for a programme while he also visited his mother’s grave and told the caretaker of the graveyard about his last wish. LRB founder Bachchu performed in a stage show in Chattogram on October 13 for the last.Ayub Bachchu always tried to do something for the young musicians of Chittagong. He founded a platform for young musicians on the rooftop of a local restaurant in the port city known as ‘AB Lounge’ in August. AB Lounge gave a fortnightly platform to two upcoming bands from Chittagong and Ayub Bachchu remained connected online during every performance.The legendary singer was suffering from heart diseases for long and found unconscious in his Maghbazar apartment Thursday morning by his colleagues.He was survived by two children and a widow.President Abdul Hamid, prime minister Sheikh Hasina and cultural affairs minister Asaduzzman Noor expressed shock with the nation at his death in separate messages.Bachchu recorded 28 albums, including 16 solo albums, during more than four decades of his career as a musician. A pioneering rocker, Bachchu composed 500 songs, including famous numbers like Chalo Bodle Jai’, ‘Rupali Guitar’, ‘Hanste Dekho, Gaite Dekho’, ‘Ghum Bhanga Shahore’, ‘Darajar O Pashe’, ‘Madhabi’, ‘Hawker’, ‘Meye’, ‘Tara Bhara Rate’ and ‘Sare Tin Hat Mati’. He also sang playbacks for films and recorded dozens of songs released in mixed albums.Bachchu formed his own band Spider at the age of 14. In 1978, he joined Feelings, which went on to become a major band in Bangladesh. He spent only two years with the band and joined Souls as its lead guitarist in 1980 where he played for 10 years. In 1991, Bachchu founded LRB, Love Runs Blind. He owned a music studio called ‘AB Kitchen’ at Maghbazar.